Summoned Letters, the Disjointed Letters and the Talisman of Ibn ʿArabī

Abstract

Abstract Twenty-nine chapters (sūras) of the Qur’an begin with the disjointed letters (al-ḥurūf al-muqaṭṭaʿāt). These fourteen letters of the Arabic alphabet thus became known as the “openers of the chapters” (fawātiḥ aṣ-ṣuwar). This paper focuses on Ibn ʿArabī’s writings on three disjointed letters, namely, ʾalif-lām-mīm, as well as their meaning, and the power and the talisman he associated with them. This talisman was meant to capture the power of the disjointed letters, so that a spiritual Seeker could reach the totality of knowledge and unity with God.